


Welcoming the Year Right

by turtleeden



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Post-Canon, Post-Game Adventures, ShuAnnWeek2020, because i knew this day was coming shh, turtle why didn't you do this on new year's itself you ask?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23598943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtleeden/pseuds/turtleeden
Summary: Akira returns to Tokyo for New Year's and everyone's making the trip to Shibuya to celebrate it right. While Akira is simply happy to be with everyone, especially his girlfriend, during this joyous occasion, this little get-together meant the world to Ann and everyone else considering what happened last year.Day 6 Prompt: Festival/Holiday
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Takamaki Ann, Kurusu Akira/Takamaki Ann, Persona 5 Protagonist/Takamaki Ann
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19
Collections: Shuann Week 2020





	Welcoming the Year Right

He has never been so happy to be within the bustle of Shibuya in his life.

Akira walked with everyone as they made their way towards the Shibuya Station accessway on New Year’s Eve. They all met up at Leblanc, catching up with each other as Sojiro allowed them to have the first floor to themselves. Eventually, Ryuji had the great idea for everyone to go to the accessway for the big countdown. Futaba was initially against it, saying that Sojiro would cry if he was left all alone on New Year’s. ( _Sojiro denied this of course._ ) But, after much consideration, everyone else thought that it was a good idea, especially now that Akira was here to celebrate with everybody.

Akira didn’t know what that meant. Honestly, he was happy with either option.

“Shibuya… Just like I remember it,” Akira mused with a smile. “Actually… it’s _too much_ like I remember it. Look at the huge turnout…!”

“Hehe, surprised?” Ryuji asked, grinning wildly at his best friend. “It’s Tokyo! Everyone’s all here for the countdown, man! Live a little! On top of that, the old Shibuya hideout is actually the best spot in the house! Who needs to stand in the middle of the cold when you can just look out the balcony with your buds!”

“Go easy on him, Ryuji,” Ann chided, leaning close to Akira as she clung to his arm. She felt no need to hide their relationship status, seeing as everyone else figured it out over time. “This is technically his first time celebrating in the city, after all!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know that! That’s why we gotta make it special for him and shit!” Ryuji said enthusiastically. “So let’s hurry up and move it!”

“Ugh… how do you end up being louder than the crowd? That’s a talent that only you have, Ryuji.” Morgana groaned from inside Akira’s bag.

“Shibuya in New Year’s…” Futaba murmured, her eyes wide as saucers as she stayed in-between Ann and Makoto for security. “Insane difficulty… Maddening difficulty…! Th-There’s a whole horde of people here! Even more than during the summer! Gh… I underestimated the power of New Year’s… it feels like we’ve been walking forever...”

“Don’t overdo it, Futaba,” Makoto eased. “Let us know if this becomes too much for you. We are passing through Shibuya at a busy time of year.”

“Y-Yeah, I know that!” Futaba said, nodding slowly. “B-But! I’ll push through it! It’s an important, limited event! Besides, if I can work through this, then I’ll gain tons of EXP! On top of what I’ve already gained through going to school, Futaba Sakura will be at a high level after this!”

“That’s the spirit!” Ann cheered. “You’ve already improved so much, Futaba! At this rate, even walking through Shibuya on holiday will be no sweat for you!”

“Hehehe, I’m already pretty amazing, aren’t I?” Futaba mused with her quirky smile. She then huffed as she pumped up her fist, the fire of determination lighting up in her eyes. “Alright! Gotta push on with this special quest! Got the full party _and_ my key item with me! Are we there yet?”

“Key item?” Yusuke inquired, quirking a brow.

“She means me.” Akira clarified.

“...Futaba’s got a point though. The crowds really make it look like we’ve been pushing through forever,” Ann mentioned, before raising her voice. “Hey, Ryuji! We’re close, right?”

“Yeah, we’re close! ...I think.” Ryuji answered.

“Seriously?! ‘You think?!’” Morgana gawked, pressing his paws upon Akira’s shoulder. “Geez… is this how it feels when I used to say that?”

“Pretty much,” Akira mentioned, glancing behind him to look at Morgana. “Especially that look of utter disbelief on your face. Really adds to the nostalgia.”

“Remind me never to feel this way again…” Morgana groaned.

“Now, now. No need to groan, Mona-chan. The accessway is normally close to the station entrance, so we’ll be there in no time,” Haru interjected. “Besides, let’s look at it this way. Everyone’s all here celebrating the new year, right? I’m sure everyone’s happy to be celebrating with those they care about, even if Shibuya’s bustling with the holiday crowd.”

“I don’t remember the station being this crowded though…” Futaba murmured.

“No, it probably was this crowded last year.” Yusuke mentioned, shaking his head. “...We simply had more pressing matters in mind.”

“That’s true…” Makoto agreed. “Honestly, I’m glad that walking through the crowd is the most that we have to worry about this year.”

“Hah! Made it!” Ryuji cheered, making a break for the accessway’s clearing. “C’mon! Our old hideout awaits! Let’s hurry up and claim it so that no one else does!”

“Hey! Ryuji, you cheater! No running away from the main party! That’s how you’ll get ambushed!” Futaba cried, running after him.

“Come on, you two…” Makoto sighed, pressing her fingers against her forehead. Yusuke and Haru both shook their heads as they joined Makoto in heading towards the accessway. Morgana then leaped out of Akira’s hand, grateful to have some space after being stuck in the bag while everyone pushed through the bustling Shibuya crowd. Before long, only Akira and Ann were lagging behind as they watched the others get comfortable in one of their old hangout spots.

“Everyone seems excited to come up here…” Akira observed, watching Futaba walk up to Morgana and lift him up into her arms. “I’m all for nostalgia and all, but I can tell from everyone’s faces that they’re especially happy about doing this.”

“It doesn’t surprise me. I mean, I’m excited about this too!” Ann said, smiling at him. “Bringing you up here is special for all of us. I mean, yeah. It’s New Year’s, and we’re here to watch the countdown on the jumbotron, but there’s another reason too.”

“Oh?” Akira inquired, looking curious. “What’s that?”

“...This is where we all really started to get to work on freeing you.” Ann answered.

....

_Oh._

“I know that you already know this, but last year, at Christmas… we were really shaken up when we found out you turned yourself in,” Ann then explained, her expression softening. “But even with the shock, we managed to pull ourselves together and resolved ourselves to get you out of juvie. So when New Year’s Eve came around, we all gathered right here, laying out what we were gonna do in order to set you free. No Metaverse, no powers, we didn’t even have Morgana since we all thought he was gone at the time… it was just us.”

“Ann…” Akira trailed off.

“...I remember how I felt when I stood here with the others last year.” Ann continued, tightening her hold around Akira’s arm as she spoke. “I was determined to do my part, of course, but... I was also really sad. I missed you so much… and I really wished that you were there with us. Everyone around us was having a good time and celebrating the new year, but I knew that you should be there celebrating too. You should’ve been out celebrating with us. Watching the countdown, eating and chatting away… and maybe we could’ve walked to a shrine together the next morning. Instead you were locked away, and it wasn’t fair. Not after all that you’ve been through and all that you’ve done. At that moment, I just kept thinking… ‘He should be here.’”

Akira turned quiet, now realizing that this was why everyone so readily agreed with Ryuji to come to the accessway for New Year’s. The reason why Akira was alright with whatever the gang came up with was because he would be celebrating with them regardless of what they chose. It was something that he didn’t intend to miss again. Last year, he spent New Year’s alone in a cell at juvenile hall. After endless hours of interrogations, eating the awful food, and spending his down time in solitude, Akira welcomed the new year alone, with only the silence to keep him company. It was a depressing feeling to be alone at that time. He missed everyone else terribly, and wondered what they were doing while he was quietly serving his time. And Ann… he wanted to be with her so badly. He wished that he could’ve given her a Christmas Eve that she rightfully deserved, and that they could welcome the new year together. It crushed him to know that he left her alone that night. That was why he was determined to make the holidays perfect for her this year, and why he was simply happy to be with everyone this time.

But little did he know that this old hideout of theirs held so much significance for them last year. Now he knows why everyone else looked so happy despite grumbling about the crowds… the Phantom Thieves were now all together on New Year’s, like they should be. The thought of that made Akira smile. He bowed his head down, averting his gaze from Ann and the others, but his smile remained.

“Akira?” Ann asked.

“I get it…” Akira murmured, his soft voice revealing his current vulnerability. “I get it now… and I'm glad. I’m glad we’re all up here together. It’s… what I wanted...”

“Yeah… you get it,” Ann said. She leaned her head against his shoulder and gave him a soft smile. “So why don’t we catch up and join the others? You said that you wanna do this right, right?”

“Heh… right,” Akira said, nodding at her. “And you know… we’ve still got a shrine to visit tomorrow.”

“Oh, I didn’t forget about that,” Ann said coyly, winking at him. “Just wait until you see the kimono I picked out. I can’t wait to see the look on your face! I’m so gonna knock your socks off.”

“Don’t count me out just yet.” Akira hinted, his smile turning into a slight smirk. He had something else up his sleeve, and he hid it as neatly as he could in the attic. He didn’t know what Ann had in store for him tomorrow morning, but he intended not to disappoint with his own surprise. ( _Although he knew that Ann would look beautiful in anything she wore, her wearing a traditional kimono would be a breathtaking sight._ ) 

“Hey! What’s takin’ you two?! Quit makin’ googly eyes at each other and get over here!” Ryuji yelled out, beckoning the two of them over to where everyone else was.

“Shut it, Ryuji! We were having an important moment here!” Ann fired back with a huff. Akira simply laughed as he shook his head. Some things never change…

“Might as well get a move on before you two get into a yelling match.” Akira chuckled.

“We would not!” Ann cried indignantly. Her raising her voice like that told Akira otherwise.

\-----

Everyone was chatting up a storm as they waited for the countdown.

Yusuke had a can of jagariko chips in his hands, in which he carefully kept out of Futaba’s reach whenever she felt like swiping a few chips from him. Akira, Ryuji and Ann were listening to Makoto and Haru swapping stories about college life, and what to watch out for during the college entrance exams. ( _Ryuji and Ann were definitely dreading that day, given how difficult it is for them to study._ ) In-between their chatting, Haru, Ann and Futaba took the time to play with Morgana, much to his delight. The boys talked about things like girls, manga and tv shows, along with the occasional observation adventures that Yusuke’s had in the past. Makoto herself chimed in on a few of those subjects, much to the boys’ surprise. All in all, it looked like everyone was having a good time hanging out with each other. This kept going until Ryuji noticed one of the jumbotrons in Shibuya change screens, and his face lit up at the realization.

“Guys, guys! It’s startin’!” he said excitedly.

Hearing that, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and walked up to the banisters, eyes glued to the jumbotrons that they could see from the windows. For Akira, who hasn’t experienced New Year’s in Tokyo like this, he couldn’t help but feel swept up in the excitement. Even among his friends, the excitement was high as they watched the timer go down to the thirty second mark.

“Another year is coming to an end…” Yusuke observed.

“Yes, but I’m grateful for what happened to us this year.” Makoto said.

“Let’s hope that the next year will be good for all of us.” Haru added.

“That, I can agree with.” Morgana chimed.

“Twenty-five seconds!” Futaba chimed in excitedly.

“We’re gettin’ there!” Ryuji said, practically bouncing on his feet.

Akira was quiet, but his expression said everything that needed to be said. His eyes grew wide with excitement and anticipation as he watched the countdown from the accessway. His smile steadily grew wider and wider the closer that the timer got to ten seconds. He felt the excitement growing more and more in the atmosphere, and he felt even more excited because of it. Ann wordlessly slipped her hand down and grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze as she watched the screen, and that little act made Akira smile even more. He intertwined his fingers with hers, holding her hand tight. He was practically beaming where he stood, and that was a huge contrast compared to last year. This… this is what New Year’s Eve was supposed to feel like…!

_10!_

_9!_

There was no sitting alone in a prison cell, nor was there any interrogations or questionings to be had.

_8!_

_7!_

_6!_

Nor were there any testimonies to be recorded, or false crimes to chain him down.

_5!_

_4!_

Akira was with the people he loved during the New Year. This was how it should be.

_3!_

_2!_

_1!_

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

_“Happy New Year!!!”_

The accessway was then filled with loud cheering and booming laughter. The loudest among the group was of course Ryuji, although he was hardly the only one yelling his heart out. Futaba and Ann were jumping up and down, pumping their fists up in the air as they cheered. Yusuke, content with the cheer going around him, held his hands up in a frame as he looked out the window, painting the cheering crowds of people in his mind’s eye. Though they weren’t nearly as loud as the others were, Makoto and Haru welcomed the new year with a round of applause to accompany their cheers. Haru then picked up Morgana and gently held him in her arms so that he could see the spectacle going around them as well. As for Akira, after he welcomed the New Year at the top of his lungs, he stood there among his friends as he stared at the large jumbotron with awe-filled eyes. It was that moment that it finally sunk in his head; this is real. He is actually here. It was obvious, of course, but him physically being here celebrating the new year with his friends made that fact all the more real.

On that note, he knew exactly what he wanted to do next.

With a smile, Akira raised his hand up and had Ann go into a twirl. She made a sudden squeak as she spun on her feet, only to land in Akira’s arms as she fell forward. It was then that Akira made his move. He wrapped Ann in a tight embrace, pulling her body towards his. He then dipped her down, leaned forward, and boldly pressed his lips against hers. Surprised as she was, Ann melted into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around him with great enthusiasm. The rest of the Phantom Thieves gasped and whistled as they witnessed this bold showing of public affection. Leave it to their leader to make the first kiss of the new year a show.

“Man, get a room!” Ryuji jeered, poking fun at the two of them.

Akira paid no mind to that little outburst his best friend made. All of his focus was currently on Ann as he held that kiss. When they finally parted, Ann was panting lightly with her lips slightly open, her blue eyes shimmering, and her face bright red. Akira gave her a warm smile before he finally turned his attention to Ryuji. And it was then that his warm smile changed into that signature devilish smirk.

“What, you want one?” he teased.

“Hell no!” Ryuji cried. “I want to get one from an actual girl!”

“Well, that won’t be for a while.” Yusuke said bluntly.

“Can confirm. You’ve got no attraction game at all, Ryuji.” Futaba said flatly, pushing her glasses up.

“Come on, that ain’t fair!” Ryuji whined, deflating.

“All’s fair in love and war, Ryuji. Suck it up.” Morgana said coolly.

“I don’t wanna hear that from you! What would a cat know?!” Ryuji snapped.

“Hey! What was that?!” Morgana hissed, bristling within Haru’s arms.

“Come on, you two. Behave for at least one night.” Makoto sighed, eyeing Ryuji sternly.

“Agreed. This is supposed to be a happy occasion,” Haru added, looking down at Morgana. “Besides, you’ll find someone someday, Ryuji.”

“At least _someone_ has a little faith in me…” Ryuji sighed, hanging his head down low.

Everyone then joined together in laughter, enjoying this moment of levity between them. They continued to celebrate the New Year together until they all eventually dispersed and went back home in the dead of night. Even Akira and Ann went their separate ways, with Ann going back home and Akira going back to Leblanc with Morgana and Futaba going along for the ride.

“Huh. I thought for sure Ann was gonna come with us. Especially with you two being all lovey-dovey and gross,” Futaba commented, walking alongside Akira. “What gives?”

“New Year’s isn’t over yet,” Akira said, smiling to himself. “There’s still morning.”

“They’re going to go visit a shrine in the morning,” Morgana explained. “That’s why Lady Ann isn’t here with us.”

“Ohh, waiting for her to get all dressed up in a kimono, huh? Hehehe, I get it.” Futaba grinned. “Don’t worry, Mona can stick with me and Sojiro in the morning! Bet I could stuff you into my kimono and carry you around.”

“Please don’t.” Morgana grimaced.

Akira chuckled under his breath, amused at Futaba’s idea. He was grateful that Morgana would be well cared for while he was gone, but the mental image of him being carried around inside of Futaba’s kimono was too hilarious.

“Have fun,” he said, smiling at her. “I know I will.”

\-----

He stood near the entrance around Meiji Shrine, making sure that he was in a spot where he could easily be seen.

Akira adjusted the sleeves of his kimono jacket, making sure that he had it on correctly. The kimono he wore was a traditional black one, with matching striped hakama pants. His parents helped him out in picking out the kimono for New Year’s, and seeing as Akira was going to go to Tokyo for the holiday, the three of them talked to Sojiro so that he could give Akira a place to stay and help keep the kimono nice and neat. Akira hasn’t worn traditional kimonos for holidays since he was a little kid, so wearing this now was certainly an adjustment. But… this was a special occasion after all. He was literally dressed to impress.

“Akira! Over here!”

Akira immediately perked up at the sound of Ann’s voice, and he eagerly turned towards the direction he heard it from. When Ann finally came into view, Akira just stood there stunned at the sight of her. Ann’s kimono was mainly red, a darker shade than what she usually tended to wear. There was a gradual change of color upon her sleeves, revealing a dark shade of purple upon the bottom. Despite the darker shades of color upon Ann’s kimono, it was adorned with prints of various flowers upon her sleeves and the bottom half of the kimono. The beautiful colors of red, pink and lavender were present within the beautiful patterns that were designed on the kimono. The white obi really brought the whole outfit together, especially since the flowers printed on the obi matched the flowers printed on the kimono itself. The icing on the cake here was that Ann had her hair down. Her beautiful blonde hair ran down her back with soft, yellow waves, which seemed to glow softly against the morning sun. She was wearing a rose barrette upon the corner of her head. The main flower upon the barrette was a red rose, with smaller while roses bunched together below it, and it was adorned with white tassels that were framing one side of her face. All in all, she was simply… beautiful.

“Ann…” Akira trailed off, feeling completely speechless as she walked up to him. He had no other words to say. He was just… stunned at her beauty. Even though he really shouldn’t be surprised, he couldn’t help but stare at her in awe as if he was meeting her for the first time.

“Hehe… surprised?” Ann giggled, blushing a bit as she swayed her body back and forth. She took a moment to look Akira up and down, taking in the sight of him in a kimono and hakama. Once she looked back up at his face, she smiled bashfully. “I know I am. I didn’t expect you to get dressed up too…”

“Yeah, well…” Akira coughed, snapping himself out of his infatuated state. “Gotta do something special for a special occasion, right? I knew I couldn’t just walk out the door dressed like I normally do this time.”

“Good thinking!” Ann complimented, forming a beaming smile. “And it’s a good memory for me, too! You look so handsome…! Kind _and_ cute, I definitely hit the jackpot, right?”

“Hey, that’s my line,” Akira quipped. “You’re as breathtaking as always.”

“Thanks,” Ann thanked, her blush deepening a bit. “So… does this mean that I totally knocked your socks off? I did, didn’t I? I saw the look on your face.”

“Yeah… you did. You blew me away,” Akira admitted easily. He felt no shame in admitting the truth. “Although, since you were really checking me out just now… call it even?”

“Hey! Ooh...!! _Fine._ I guess I can do that.” Ann sighed, pouting a little. The pout disappeared as quickly as it came as she stepped closer to Akira. “So… ready to greet the gods? I know the big shrines are usually crowded, so it’ll be a while before we can actually pray for the new year. But… I guess I won't mind it too much if I’m waiting next to you.”

“I won’t mind it either,” Akira responded. He then held out his hand to Ann, inviting her to take it. “Let’s welcome the year right.”

“Right!” Ann agreed cheerfully, taking his hand in hers. With that, the two of them walked towards Meiji Shrine, hand in hand, intending to finally welcome the new year… together.


End file.
